Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a mobile terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for automatic on/off control of a dual liquid crystal display (hereinafter, LCD) installed in a mobile terminal, and a method thereof.
Description of the Prior Art
With recent developments in the wireless communication technology, the use of mobile terminals has rapidly increased. As a result of popularization of mobile terminals, communication service companies currently provide various kinds of services to satisfy telephone subscribers' requirements, such as a wireless Internet service, short message service, and multimedia service including screen images and moving pictures, in addition to a voice communication service free from restriction in time and space.
The mobile terminal has a basic function of performing voice communication with another mobile phone or a wired telephone through a base station while freely moving in a mobile communication service area, and has additional functions of performing data communication, such as personal information management, information exchange with a computer and with the Internet. Recently, new mobile terminals appearing frequently in the market provide a better performance improved by providing transmission and reception of screen images or moving pictures, virtual 3-dimensional stereo sounds, MP3 player function, and integration of camera for picture-taking.
According to its functions, a mobile terminal may be classified as a terminal having an Internet function, terminal having a character transmission function, terminal having a moving picture function, terminal having a user's health check function, and terminal having a game function. Additionally, digital multimedia services, such as a digital television service or a video on demand service, have been commercialized. Some existing mobile terminals provide a 3-dimensional game function, which is more developed than a game function using a simple text, and a messenger function.
Recently, mobile terminals have continuously been changed and developed in their forms and functions. In their forms, mobile terminals have been developed in various types such as a bar type, flip type, folder type, dual folder type and slide type. In their functions, mobile terminals have been developed to provide various functions such as a game function, a video on demand function, an electronic dictionary function and a MP3 player function, in addition to their basic function of a phone call.
Although the mobile terminals have been greatly developed in their forms and functions, display units for displaying information have not been developed so much in their forms and functions. In conventional mobile terminals of a dual folder type or slide type, a waiting screen is displayed or a screen of a correspondingly requested function is displayed by operating an LCD, when a folder opens or slides sideways.
The LCD displays a waiting screen during initialization, and if a function is requested by a user during the initialization, the LCD displays only a specific screen by switching to a screen corresponding to the requested function. Such an LCD operating method displays a screen corresponding to an additional function performed by the mobile terminal. When the mobile terminal operates in a camera mode, only a screen related to the camera mode is displayed. Alternatively, when the mobile terminal operates in a MP3 mode, only a screen related to the MP3 mode is displayed.
Accordingly, in the conventional mobile terminals, various screens having additional functions may not comprehensively be used. Usability of the mobile terminal and user convenience decreases, because only one LCD is used and the size of the LCD screen is relatively small.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved apparatus and method for controlling an automatic display in a mobile terminal using a dual LCD comprising additional functions.